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More than 2,000 Baylor students are the first in their family to attend college. Baylor’s “First in Line” program exists to help these Bears navigate all aspects of college — from academics to student life to finances and beyond.

Word of First in Line’s successes is getting out; the program was recently honored by NASPA, an international student affairs organization, with a 2024 Excellence Award for first-generation student success.

It only makes sense that a university whose motto reads “Pro Ecclesia, Pro Texana” — “for the Church, for Texas” — would build programs designed specifically to serve the Church, both close to home and around the world.

And that’s exactly what you’ll find, all across Baylor’s campus — efforts designed specifically to build up and support pastors, congregations, theologians, and other parts of the body of Christ. Here’s just a sampling:

Last fall, Baylor was named among TIME magazine’s top 40 colleges for future leaders. In their research, the publication’s editors studied the resumes of 2,000 U.S. leaders to see where they got their start — with Baylor standing out among the nation’s best.

That’s certainly true in the field of education, where countless Baylor alumni are serving as principals, deans, superintendents, etc. In the world of higher ed, almost 40 Baylor Bears are the top executives at colleges and universities around the world; here’s a quick rundown of those currently serving as presidents and chancellors:

The demand for a Baylor education has never been higher. We saw that last fall, when the university received more than 56,000 applications for Fall 2024 — and we saw it again Saturday, when more than 6,000 prospective students and family members were on campus for Premiere.

During Eclipse Over Texas on Monday, 50+ representatives of Baylor’s Department of Physics were on hand at McLane Stadium to assist and educate those in attendance. We asked a couple of them — Dr. Lorin Swint Matthews (BS ’94, PhD ’98) and Dr. Barbara Castainheria Endl — to help us understand what we saw during the eclipse.

When Dr. Beth Lanning (BSED ’89, MSED ’91) first came to Baylor as a student, she wanted to become a large animal veterinarian. It seemed a natural fit for someone who grew up training and showing horses, but after some time in that course of study, she realized she didn’t want to be a veterinarian. So, she switched to engineering, then pre-health. It was a circuitous path that led her to her current role in Baylor’s Department of Public Health, where she combines aspects of all of these streams in her work.

Today, Lanning serves as professor and associate chair of public health, and the two-time Baylor grad has built a reputation as a leading researcher into the impact of human-animal interventions for children with autism, adults with PTSD, and more.

A total solar eclipse AND an annual campus-wide celebration? Diadeloso (the “Day of the Bear”) has been a Baylor tradition for almost a century now — but never like this.

Baylor sports fans who have driven around Waco recently have likely noticed some familiar names on signs outside buildings under construction, lots for sale, or other new developments heralding business growth in Waco.

Raynor Campbell (BSEd ’10), Clay Fuller (BBA ’15) and Gregg Glime (BBA ’10) all spent time in green and gold on the baseball diamond or gridiron. When it came time to pursue their next phases of life, each of them chose to call Waco home, and each found their niche in real estate. Today, all three are partners with Waco’s Cromwell Commercial Group and play a meaningful role in commercial development and new business growth in their adopted hometown.

This week is Graduate Student Appreciation Week, a chance to celebrate the 5,500+ graduate students who pursue their calling at Baylor. Although they comprise nearly a quarter of BU’s overall enrollment, their contributions can fly under the radar — but not to those with whom they serve.

In the spring of 1945, a group of Baylor students prayed for spiritual renewal for 90 straight days. Their prayers led to a movement that helped inspire ministries on campus and around the world, from the Journeyman mission program to the Passion Conferences.

Last week, hundreds of Baylor students again gathered in Jesus’ name for FM72, a 72-hour on-campus prayer and worship event coordinated by Baylor’s Office of Spiritual Life in conjunction with local churches and campus ministries.

Countless women have come through the halls of Baylor before going on to do amazing things. Here’s a look at some Baylor Bears who have made big impacts in education — at Baylor and beyond:

Baylor women’s basketball is headed back to the Sweet 16, thanks to a pair of big NCAA tournament wins this weekend in Blacksburg, Virginia. Head coach Nicki Collen’s squad dominated Vanderbilt on Friday, 80-63, then beat Virginia Tech in front of a feisty home crowd, 75-72, on Sunday night.

Countless women have come through the halls of Baylor before going on to do amazing things. Here’s a look at some Baylor Bears who have made names for themselves in the arts — locally, nationally and internationally:

For the ninth time in the last 10 postseasons, both the Baylor men’s and women’s basketball teams are going dancing!

It never takes long in any conversation about “great Baylor teachers” for the name “Ann Miller” to surface.

As a two-time Baylor graduate (BA ’49, MA ’51), a Baylor English professor for more than 40 years, and part of Baylor’s first class of Master Teachers, Miller was Baylor through and through.

Think about the community you call home. Does its setup encourage you (and those around you) to be active? Is there a track or walking path for adults, or a playscape for kids? Can you ride your bike to work or the store? Is the area walkable?

Dr. Renée Umstattd Meyer (BSED ’00) has built a nationally recognized research career thinking about questions like these, and has put that research to work helping communities across the country better support the health of their residents.

Countless women have come through the halls of Baylor before going on to do amazing things. Here’s a look at some Baylor Bears who have made lasting changes in the world of politics and law — at the local, state and national level:

U.S. News recently recognized Baylor’s learning communities among the top 10 in the nation — just behind schools like Yale, Michigan and Princeton, and ahead of, well, just about everyone else. (The honor ranked Baylor No. 1 in the Big 12, No. 1 among large private universities, No. 2 in Texas and No. 2 among Christian universities.)

When Baylor was chartered in 1845, it was one of the first coeducational colleges or universities west of the Mississippi River — about 10 years before any public institution of higher learning would introduce mixed-gender learning, and a full 75 years before American women were guaranteed the right to vote.

Each year, the Collegiate Day of Prayer unites college campuses all over the country in a day of prayer for revival and awakening, concluding with an evening service of prayer and worship on a college campus that is broadcast around the world. This year, Baylor University served as central host site for the Collegiate Day of Prayer service.

After countless hours of planning, practicing and performing, All University Sing 2024 is in the books. Over the last two weeks, hundreds of Baylor students put their hard work on display performing for thousands of Baylor students, alumni and friends in Waco Hall (plus a streaming audience online for Saturday’s finale).

When he came to Baylor from the Philippines in the 1990s, Peter Gape (MA ’91, MA ’94) knew broadly that he wanted to serve internationally. But his time in Waco helped focus that desire, and sparked a calling that led him to leadership in one of the globe’s largest international service organizations — World Vision.

If you read The Wall Street Journal last week, you likely saw not one, but two stories on the performance of Baylor’s endowment — one on how Baylor’s returns are beating even the Ivy League’s, and a second one on how Baylor’s culture has made this possible. (The first even ran on the front page of last Thursday’s print edition!)

When the College Football Playoff Selection Committee gets together this fall to pick the teams for the sport’s first-ever 12-team playoff, there will be two Baylor Bears in the room where it happens — one past, one present.

The past Bear is former interim head coach Jim Grobe, who was named to the committee in 2022. But the current Bear is the one who has fans in the green and gold fired up: Baylor Director of Athletics Mack Rhoades.

Dr. Stephen Newby describes the opportunity to serve as the inaugural Lev H. Prichard III Chair in the Study of Black Worship as his “dream job,” and you don’t have to look very far down his path to Baylor to see why.

Bears have been playing in the NBA since the Association’s early days shortly after World War II, and there’s been a Baylor alum on an NBA roster every year since the 1979-80 season — but there’s never been more than there are this season.

Coming off the program’s first 40-win season since 2017 — the last time the Bears reached the Women’s College World Series — and returning all but one player from the 2023 roster, the Baylor softball team has big plans for the 2024 campaign, with eyes on a return to Oklahoma City to compete for a national championship.

Baylor fans have come to count on seeing BU among the top 25 each year, with Bears competing with the nation’s most prestigious programs for national recognition.

That applies to athletics (like our currently No. 13-ranked men’s basketball and No. 18-ranked women’s basketball programs), and to academics — like the Baylor entrepreneurship program, which once again ranks among the best in the nation according to multiple sources:

Every two years, Baylor’s Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great Teaching brings one of the nation’s best professors not already here at Baylor to Waco for a semester, allowing BU students to benefit from his or her excellence in the classroom. First awarded in 1991, the honor remains our country’s largest national award presented by a college or university for exceptional teaching, and carries with it an exceptional monetary reward for both the professor and his or her school.

For more than 65 years, Collins Residence Hall has been the beginning of Baylor stories for thousands of women — a tradition that continues today.

After closing throughout 2022-23 for a yearlong renovation, Collins reopened last fall to welcome a new class of Bears. There’s plenty that’s new, from plumbing to security — even a new main entrance on 7th Street, pointing towards campus. But there’s plenty of the old, as well — from the memorable 8th Street steps (preserved as a back entrance) to the memories of former Collins residents that are literally embedded in the walls.

January is now busier than ever on the Baylor campus, as we quickly jump from students’ return for the spring semester to celebrating not one, not two, but THREE birthdays — those of our beloved live bears!

Baylor graduates make an impact in virtually any field you can think of; this year’s Baylor Alumni Award winners are no different, with recipients leading the charge in areas ranging from financial stewardship to fighting hunger and poverty to chaplaincy.

From Line Camp to Welcome Week to the Baylor Line and the on-campus living experience, Baylor goes above and beyond to help new students feel like they are truly a part of the Baylor Family.

Eyes across the nation are taking notice — the most recent being U.S. News, which this year ranked Baylor in the top five nationally for “first-year experience.”

Before finding his current passion, Omari Head (MDiv ’12) interned for the Seattle Seahawks as an athletic trainer, then worked in student life, earned his master’s of divinity from Truett Seminary, and served as a college pastor and worship leader at a local church. But entrepreneurship was always in his blood — and now he shares his joy right here in Waco through a series of local favorites.

Another year has flown on by… As the calendar turns, let’s take one last look back at 2023, through the lens of our favorite photos from Baylor’s official Instagram account.

Here are our top 10 Baylor Instagram photos of 2023:

Baylor’s new Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion made its debut this week, hosting a pair of facility-opening wins as the No. 18-ranked Baylor men defeated Cornell and the No. 6 Baylor women blew past No. 23 TCU.

But the play on the court was secondary to the awe and wonder felt by Baylor fans who filled the arena for both games, and by the coaches and players experiencing the new gameday atmosphere.

Baylor’s mission has long been to “educate men and women for worldwide leadership and service.” A new survey by TIME magazine says Baylor’s been doing exactly that.

As the Ferrell Center prepares to host its final regular season Baylor basketball game — Dec. 22, when the men host Mississippi Valley State — a couple of posts on social media got the Baylor Family rolling sharing their favorite memories from 35 years of basketball at the Ferrell.

Not surprisingly, a few themes came up over and over:

There’s no shortage of great stories that emanate from the Baylor campus. All across the university, the people who make Baylor what it is are doing big things in virtually every arena — from classrooms and labs to student life, athletics and more. And for nearly six years now, many of them have provided first-person accounts of those stories on the Baylor Connections radio program and podcast.

When the State of Texas seeks to honor the state’s top student teacher, they often find that young educator at Baylor. That’s the case again this year — the fifth time in the last seven years!

A month into the college basketball season, only one school in America has both its men’s and women’s teams ranked in the AP Top 10 — and that school calls Waco home.

The most wonderful time of the year has finally, officially arrived!

Monday night, Baylor kicked off the Christmas season with the beloved tradition Christmas on 5th Street. (Originally scheduled for last week, the event had been pushed back due to weather.) From pictures with Santa to musical performances to photo opps and, of course, the live nativity, the heart of campus will filled with Baylor students, faculty/staff, their families — and plenty of Christmas spirit.

Contemporary Christian music can unite worshippers in prayers and celebration — but how can the music connect worship leaders and the music industry?

Dr. Shannan Baker (PhD ’22), the first postdoctoral fellow in Baylor’s School of Music, wanted to investigate this and other such topics regarding the state of modern Christian worship. The result is WorshipLeaderResearch.com, where Baker and a unique team of musicians and scholars share their research and writings on contemporary worship music.

The list of schools to make U.S. News‘ top 25 for both undergraduate teaching and undergraduate research is a short (and impressive one), filled with schools like Duke, Michigan, Princeton, Stanford, Yale — and Baylor.

Recognizing that the future would demand “better equipped men and women in the different fields of business,” Baylor President Samuel Palmer Brooks asked the Board in the early 1920s to approve the creation of a business school at Baylor University. In 1923, the School of Commerce and Business Administration — today, the Hankamer School of Business — was born.

The 2023 Baylor Volleyball team began the year notable for its youth — a roster without a senior, but with six freshmen, many of whom played key roles. But head coach Ryan McGuyre’s squad didn’t let their lack of experience (and significant injuries) deter them from earning the program’s eighth straight NCAA tournament berth, extending a streak that has become the norm for one of the nation’s top programs.

It’s amazing how, even when we feel down, stopping and counting our blessings can remind us of how much we have to be thankful for. And we do, indeed, have much to thank God for over the past 12 months at Baylor.

The first Baylor sporting event in the Ferrell Center — Nov. 17, 1988 — was a men’s basketball exhibition game against the Adelaide 36ers, an Australian professional basketball team that’s actually still in existence today.

Dr. Sarah Kienle, a nationally recognized Baylor biology professor, makes a big statement about the fourth graders she spoke to on National STEM Day last week: “They’re asking the same questions I’m asking in my research.” As the students interacted with Kienle and her students, they validated just that.

Kienle was part of a cohort of Baylor professors who visited local schools for National STEM Day, discussing topics like leopard seals, air quality, solar power and more.

Other Native American students attended Baylor before Margery Lancaster Walker, including Oscar Pete (Chehalis tribe) in 1936 and Dan Tilden (Cherokee) in 1939. But Walker, who graduated with a degree in music education from BU in 1952, is believed to have been Baylor’s first Native American graduate.

Strong teams are great at recruiting, and Baylor has been blessed to land multiple “top recruits” in the university’s pursuit of excellence — not just in athletics or the student body, but among the faculty, as well.

Building on an already strong faculty lineup, the recruitment of new faculty in endowed chair roles is a significant focus of Illuminate and Give Light, with the goal of attracting nationally recognized experts into prestigious academic positions at Baylor. These efforts have proven successful — and they’re not done yet. The dividends of the Baylor Family’s generosity in the successful Give Light campaign continue to manifest in a multitude of ways, including the recruitment of elite faculty to Baylor.

For the 11th time in the last 14 seasons, Baylor men’s basketball will open the 2023-24 season ranked among the nation’s top 25 nationally.

Head coach Scott Drew’s team will begin their final half-season in the Ferrell Center ranked 17th in the coaches poll and 20th in the AP poll — the fifth straight year the Bears have begun play among the top 25.

As Baylor women’s basketball begins their final half-season in the Ferrell Center, they’ll begin the year in a familiar place: ranked among the top 25 nationally.

Head coach Nicki Collen’s squad will open the 2023-24 season ranked 19th and 20th in the AP and coaches polls, respectively — the 19th straight year the Bears have opened the year among the top 25. Only Texas is ranked higher in the polls than Baylor to open the year.

Rain tried its best to disrupt Baylor Homecoming 2023, but a little weather can’t stop the Baylor Family from getting together — and Homecoming, as usual, brought back all the memories as thousands of Bears descended upon Waco this past weekend for the annual Baylor Family reunion.

Baylor Homecoming has something for every Bear, and preparation for it all begins almost as soon as the last one ends, with a collaboration that brings students, staff, administrators and many others together to create an unforgettable “welcome home” for alumni and friends.

Matt Burchett (BA ’01), Nick Martineau (BBA ’01, MDiv ’04) and Jon Rolph (BA ’01) have been celebrating Baylor Homecoming together for 25 years. Ready to protect that weekend, they circle the dates on their calendars as soon as the football schedule is released.

“Homecoming is where we met each other, and it makes sense that it is how we would stay connected,” says Martineau.

What is it that makes Baylor Homecoming so special? We’ll venture that it’s because Homecoming is a party for everyone. Some Bears return with spouses or children; some, with friends; others on their own. It works no matter how many people you’re bringing with you, or how long you’ve been away. There’s something for everyone, with events for all ages and all stages. Whether it’s the parade that awes the young onlookers, or the bonfire for the teenagers, or the reunions for the more seasoned attendees, the Homecoming schedule is comprehensive.

In 1909, Baylor hosted the first collegiate homecoming celebration in the nation. This week, we again renew that tradition, as the Baylor Family returns to campus to “catch that Baylor spirit again,” as President Samuel Palmer Brooks famously wrote more than a century ago.

Homecoming, more than any other weekend of the year, is all about family. It’s about seeing old friends, recalling fond memories, sharing those stories with the next generation, and celebrating together as one. It’s the very best example of why we call this “the Baylor Family.”

Dr. Mona Minkara, a bioengineering professor at Northeastern University in Boston, was in Waco last week — a long way from the campus she calls home.

The reason for her trip? To join Baylor Chemistry’s Dr. Bryan Shaw in his lab, demonstrating to students from the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI) what she longed to hear at their age.

Since the very beginning, Chapel has been an integral part of the Baylor experience — but naturally, Chapel doesn’t look the same as it did 175 years ago — or even 25 years ago. After all, 20,000 students now call Baylor home, each at different steps along their faith journey — so one size definitely doesn’t fit all.

That’s why Spiritual Life is creating a wide variety of Chapel opportunities that are built around students — working to meet them where they are: in their interests, in their majors, in their giftings, etc. The ideal Chapel is a combination of great content and experience that takes students beyond the classroom; in these spaces, students find people who care about them, not about what they can achieve.

Thousands of Baylor alumni descend upon Waco each fall for Homecoming. Some have returned every year since graduation; others are setting foot on the Baylor campus for the first time in five, 10, even 20 years or longer. Regardless of how long it’s been since you’ve visited Baylor, there’s likely something new you haven’t seen or done before — and at the same time, plenty of old favorites to revisit and traditions to enjoy.

Presenting: 100+ things to see and do during #BaylorHomecoming — updated for 2023:

Last year, Baylor appeared for the first time on a prestigious list for university innovations, debuting at No. 99 among the Top 100 U.S. Universities Granted Utility Patents. The list, published by the National Academy of Inventors, highlights the role of universities in American innovation.

This year, Baylor jumped all the way to No. 75 among the top 100 — a 24-spot jump that highlights a busy 12 months for Baylor researchers. 

As Baylor pursued and received R1 research recognition, leaders across the university noted it was about more than mere prestige; it was about having a “seat at the table,” where Baylor professors could bring a Christian research university’s viewpoints and ideas into settings where real impact can take place.

The litany of significant awards, appointments and assignments Baylor sciences faculty have received in recent months suggest that dream is coming true.

Over the last decade or so, Baylor has put out nearly a dozen different Christmas ornaments. Past years’ designs range from popular icons like Sailor Bear and the interlocking BU, to ornaments honoring traditions like Diadeloso and Christmas on 5th Street — and my personal favorite, the one celebrating Baylor men’s basketball’s national title.

But this year’s ornament is already blowing all the others away when it comes to demand. (Not that that’s any surprise, of course, when you see the design.)

Nothing gives a visitor a taste of the Baylor experience like actually visiting campus in-person — exploring the campus, getting to know current students, and meeting with Baylor faculty and staff to see what life at BU is all about. And with the opening of the new Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center, high school students visiting Baylor get a welcome like never before.

Baylor isn’t just beloved by its students and alumni; it’s also a special place for the faculty and staff who work here.

The latest evidence comes in the results of the annual “Great College to Work For” survey, which — for the 12th time in 13 years — found Baylor earning honor roll status.

As the son of a Mennonite minister along the Texas/Mexico border, Dr. Felipe Hinojosa grew up in a family that exposed him to the power of the Gospel in a community.

Now a historian and higher education leader, he’s long channeled those early experiences into research and scholarship on Latino/a and Chicana/o studies, civil rights, religion and society. After years at universities like Texas A&M, Houston, and Emory, he chose to come to Baylor this summer as the first Jackson Family Chair for Baylor in Latin America.

Climbing Mount Everest is, obviously, an impressive feat. But doing so after having survived ovarian cancer? That’s a truly incredible story.

Meet Baylor alumna Jess Wedel (BSW ’11).

For so many people, college is the time of life when they first fall in love with coffee. Early morning classes, various student activities, dozens of new friends, and test after project after test… All can quickly lead to coffee being an absolute necessity. Lucky for us, the Waco coffee scene is exploding — this list has doubled since our last update two years ago!

So, whether you’re a new student whose love for the bean is just beginning, or a Waco visitor looking for the best brew, here are our 20 favorite Baylor-area coffee spots:

Even after U.S. News made significant changes to its rankings formula — changes that heavily benefitted public universities — Baylor remains ranked among the top universities in the state, conference and country.

More importantly, Baylor jumped into the top five nationally for First-Year Experience (No. 5 overall) and the top 10 for Learning Communities (No. 10), while remaining among the top 25 in both undergraduate teaching and undergraduate research opportunities. In other words, even leaders of other universities are recognizing the incredible college experience offered at Baylor.

A Baylor group, led by students and a professor in the School of Education’s MSEd Sport Management program, set out to help homeless veterans — and in the process, set a Guinness World Record!

It’s been almost two years since Baylor reached elite R1 recognition. But that milestone wasn’t a finish line; instead, it’s been a springboard toward accomplishing even more.

Here’s just a sampling of the major research projects and honors at Baylor from recent months, showing the wide array of disciplines and approaches found across the university:

This year’s Baylor-Texas football game will mark the 113th time the two teams have squared off on the gridiron — one of the 25 most-played rivalries in college football history. For most of that time — since 1916 — the two teams have been conference rivals, first in the Southwest Conference (1915-96) and then in the Big 12 (1997-2023).

Some of the greatest moments in Baylor football history have come against these rivals from 100 miles south: the Miracle on the Brazos, a Heisman Moment, Case Closed… and that’s just for starters. So as the Bears prepare to add one more memorable moment Saturday, let’s look back at a few of the games that stand out:

You’d be hard-pressed to find a Baylor student over the last 30 years who hasn’t set foot in Common Grounds at least once. Blake (BA ’08) and Kimberly (BA ’07) Batson were once among those students; many years later, they’ve made Common Grounds — and the Waco community — integral parts of their adult lives.

Coffee, books, pizza, ice cream — those are just a few of the offerings the Batsons have added to Waco through an entrepreneurial spirit and community focus.

This past weekend brought an influx of both Baylor parents and rain to the Waco area during Family Weekend 2023 — much-needed visits for families who have been apart for a month now, and much-needed precipitation after a dry, hot summer in Central Texas.

Dr. Bradley Bolen’s love of music has taken him around the world, and his excellence in sharing that love with others has been honored close to home.

Bolen, a senior lecturer of piano at Baylor, was named the 2023 Collegiate Teacher of the Year by the Texas Music Teachers Association (TMTA). Renowned on the piano, Bolen is a Steinway Artist with multiple recordings to his credit, and his desire to share the power of music with individuals in challenging situations has taken him to war-torn spots around the world — a variety of experiences that inform his teaching with Baylor students.

For the fourth straight year, Baylor ranks among the top 20 universities in the country when it comes to social media engagement!

This year’s report from RivalIQ saw Baylor come in at No. 16 nationally — just behind schools like Tennessee and Ohio State, and just ahead of UConn and Virginia Tech. Baylor is one of just six schools to have ranked in the top 20 each of the last four years, having come in at No. 13 in 2020, No. 11 in 2021, and No. 8 last year.

On Friday, Baylor officially unveiled and dedicated the Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center — the much-anticipated new front door to campus. From Friday morning’s ribbon-cutting to Friday night’s “Howdy at the Hurd,” the entire day took on a celebratory air.

United States Air Force First Lieutenant Marie Chiles first met her future husband, fellow First Lieutenant John Chiles (BBA ’50, JD ’52) while the two were stationed in England. At the time, she had never heard of John’s alma mater, Baylor University — and she certainly couldn’t have known how much her life would intertwine with the school over the next 70 years.

For the second time in the last three years, a Baylor football non-conference opponent is about to become a conference opponent. In 2021, it was BYU; this time, it’s Utah.

As far as athletics goes, the two schools are practically complete strangers. Academically, however, Baylor and Utah have much more in common than you might think.

We all get the need for good medical health care. More and more people are becoming aware of the need for good behavioral health care, as well — treating mental health, substance abuse, and other stressors that often affect physical health.

Behavioral health care, however, can be hard to find — especially here in Texas, where more than two-thirds of counties qualify as behavioral health shortage areas. In Baylor’s Garland School of Social Work, Dr. Becky Scott (PhD ’19) is working to change that — to improve access to high-quality mental and behavioral healthcare for Texans.

The Baylor Family turned out in huge numbers Saturday to officially welcome Indy and Belle, BU’s two new live bears, to the Bill & Eva Williams Bear Habitat!

The “Meet the Cubs” event included food trucks, caricature artists, face painting, a bounce house, even a live woodcarving demonstration — but the main draw was many people’s first opportunity to see Indy and Belle up close, in person.

This Saturday evening, it’s all back: touchdowns and tailgates, the Baylor Line and the Golden Wave, first downs and third downs and a sea of green and gold on the Brazos. Yes, the 2023 season is almost here, and it officially begins Saturday at 6 p.m. when the Bears kick off the new year against Texas State.

What does 2023 have in store? That’s a story that has yet to be written, but a few numbers provide a meaningful look into areas that could impact the success of the year ahead:

The addition of so many new schools to the Big 12 — BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF this fall; Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah in 2024 — means Baylor fans have plenty of new places to visit as they cheer on the Bears.

But you know what would make each of these places even better? A flood of green and gold!

A distinguishing part of the Baylor experience is the caring community on campus. One way we do that? Faculty-in-Residence!

These Baylor professors (many of them also BU alumni) don’t just work on campus; they live on campus, too, in designated apartment-style homes inside every residence hall, along with their families. Since 2004, more than 40 different Baylor faculty members have served in this role, helping foster students’ social, cultural, educational and spiritual growth. That can mean everything from hosting fun events and socials, to group Bible studies, to meeting one-on-one with students (even at odd hours).

Meet this year’s Faculty-in-Residence (FIR):

Whether or not you’re a space buff, you’ve probably seen some of the stunning images collected by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. The Hubble has unlocked hidden corners of the universe — which makes the possibilities of NASA’s next flagship mission, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, all the more exciting.

Among the people helping to prepare that telescope for launch? One of Baylor’s newest professors.

While it’s common for incoming freshmen to be welcomed to college by campus leaders, it’s not so common for that encouragement to come in the form of a hymn — but that’s what we do here at Baylor.

Many Baylor fans may not realize that one of the key reporters they’re reading or watching in CBS Sports’ college football coverage is a fellow Bear — in fact, one whose work they may have read right here on campus.

Less than a decade after his days writing for The Baylor Lariat, Shehan Jeyarajah (BA ’16) has established himself as a leading national voice who now serves as a national college football writer for CBS Sports.

Baylor’s not the only school in the country where volunteers line up to help new students move into their residence halls — but it’s hard to believe any school does it better.

Wednesday and Thursday, 3,000+ new Baylor students (both freshmen and transfers) were helped into their new on-campus homes by a nearly equal number of student, faculty and staff volunteers — including President Livingstone, who was all across campus both days even after having double knee replacement (!!) this summer.

For a Baylor volleyball program that has reached the NCAA Tournament seven years in a row — including four straight Sweet 16 berths — expectations are always high, even with a team as young as this year’s squad. The relative youth of this year’s team may stand out, but the young talent up and down the roster poises the team for growth throughout the season, and with that the chance to continue the excellence displayed by the program under head coach Ryan McGuyre.

It’s hard to believe, but the upcoming Baylor football season will be the 10th at McLane Stadium. How time flies!

After deciding on Baylor for college, new incoming Bears get their first in-depth introduction to BU during Baylor Line Camp. But once they make the move into their residence halls in mid-August, things begin to get really real — and that’s where Welcome Week comes in.

Since 2001, Baylor Line Camp has helped incoming new students make the transition to college life at BU. New Bears learn Baylor traditions and history, get to know their way around campus, and — most importantly — make new friends. (It’s one of the big reasons why U.S. News ranked Baylor’s first-year student experience among the top 10 in the country.)

Line Camp 2023 was one of the biggest in history — so before the new school year starts, we’re looking back at the top 7 moments from this summer:

The Big 12 Conference is a growing family! Four new family members arrive this fall (BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF) — and now, another four partners will join the league in 2024: Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah!

After years of planning and construction, the Hurd Welcome Center is a reality at last, now open to welcome Bears of all ages — prospective students visiting Baylor, alumni returning to campus, and faculty/staff and students looking for a place to meet or study.

There’s no shortage of challenges that can impact a child’s mental health — but unfortunately, school districts often face a shortage of qualified mental health professionals to help meet those needs.

Baylor researchers in the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work are working to bridge this gap in Central Texas.

Allison Dickson’s life has been anything but easy.

At 15 months old, she was diagnosed with a rare form of spinal muscular atrophy called Werdnig-Hoffman disease, and her parents were told she would not live to see the age of 3. But Dickson defied all odds — not just surviving, but thriving. She graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Southwestern University, then was valedictorian of her class at Baylor Law School. Since graduation, Dickson (JD ’07) has served as a legal research assistant at Baylor Law and served of counsel with Fort Worth-based Patterson Law Group.

As Baylor’s Board of Regents holds its regular summer meeting this week, seven new Regents are taking their seats at the table to start new terms. They’ll be led by a new Board Chair, William “Bill” E. Mearse (BBA ’78, MBA ’79), and a new Vice Chair, Melissa Purdy Mines (BA ’90).

It certainly doesn’t feel like Fall in Texas right now, but it will be here soon. In fact, the semester begins on August 21 — less than a month from now! And while there’s always lots to love about a Baylor Fall, this year promises to raise the bar.

From bear cubs to new facilities to burgeoning rivalries, here are a few reasons why the upcoming semester could make its case for the #BestFallEver at Baylor:

When Hunter Harlow (BS ’10) graduated from Baylor with a degree in geosciences/geology, he didn’t imagine taking the road less traveled.

It all started with an idea to create a cooler hat for Big Bend National Park; Sendero Hat Co. created a fun design that included a topographic map inside the bill of the hat. Soon enough, they rebranded to Sendero Provisions Co. and went from packing up hundreds of boxes during their lunch break to hiring about 20 people full-time and operating their own warehousing, fulfillment and distribution. Today, the brand is international.